NUBARASHEN AND VARDASHEN SPECIAL CLOSE EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS TO
TURN INTO OPEN ONES

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS: World Vision Armenian Office
implements "Children in Difficult Situations" program for children in
Nubarashen and Vardashen special educational establishments where
children who have violated the law, brought from streets and socially
unsecured live. Almost all the children living there have parents. In
Vardashen 93 children and in Nubarashen 62 children are living. At
first the program was implemented by "Doctors without Limits" French
organization.

Kristina Mikhailidi, head of the "Children's Protection" programs,
said it is not right to keep the children who appeared in the
establishment because of different reasons together as the works
directed towards their restoration must be different. The organization
has sent a proposal to the Armenian Education and Science Ministry, to
which the establishments belong, saying it is necessary to clarify the
standards according to which children are accepted and thus to develop
relevant services for them.

Kristina Mikhailidi said in many cases the teachers do not know how to
work with children and in this respect the organization conducts
training classes for the staff of the establishments. Within the
frameworks of the program the organizers are trying to restore ties
between children and parents. At present 30 percent of parents are
actively participating with the heads of the programs.

Through material support the program also tries to create favorable
conditions for returning children to their families. Last year 4
children returned to their families this year 8. By the end of the
4-year long program it is expected to change the two close
establishments into open ones so that the children would not be forced
to stay there without their will. In this case the children will live
there not until they are 18 but for 6 months or a year.